


sleep is for the weak

by JadenGrace1



Series: for the heart to conquer [3]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, M/M, Needles, Voltron Bingo 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-26
Updated: 2018-10-26
Packaged: 2019-08-07 17:16:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16412597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadenGrace1/pseuds/JadenGrace1
Summary: “What was it that he said before he passed out?” Hunk asks.“He looked me dead in the eye and mumbled ‘Sleep is for the weak’ before turning around and literally collapsing from exhaustion. The idiot.”





	sleep is for the weak

**Author's Note:**

> Over a year ago my friend mugen gave me the prompt “sleep is for the weak”. Now, finally, after some polishing, this little wip is finally seeing the light of day. I’m using this for the “Sleep Deprivation” square on my Bad Things Happen Bingo card and the “Cuddling” square on my Klance Voltron Bingo card.
> 
> Shout out to Shanimal and Ly for looking over this for me!!! All mistakes are mine though since I fiddled with it after they gave me wonderful notes.
> 
> Edit: thank you guys so much for 100 kudos!!! You guys are amazing!!!

“Are you sure he’s gonna be okay?” Lance chews his thumbnail anxiously as he glances over to where Keith is sleeping soundly on a medical bed.

 

In short, Keith looks terrible. His dark hair is a greasy mess, and the bags under his eyes are dark enough to look like bruises. The bright lights of the infirmary are doing nothing for his complexion, either, making his already pale skin seem ghost-like. Lance can’t help but stare at the IV line connected to Keith’s left hand, the way the tape holding the needle in place curls up slightly at one of the corners. He has the sudden urge to smooth it over, to try and push it into submission, like maybe if he can get this one stubborn thing to submit, he can get a certain  _ other _ stubborn thing to do the same. But he dismisses the thought as Coran answers him.

 

“Yes, he’s going to be perfectly fine,” the Altean replies from near the main console in the middle of the room, tapping away at a tablet. “Number Four just needs lots of rest and fluids, and then he’ll be up and running again like a Snarlack in a Grunerbee colony.”

 

Lance huffs out a soft chuckle. “Thanks, Coran.”

 

A sudden gurgling noise startles him, and it takes him a second to realize that it came from him — or, more specifically, from his stomach. “Guess I should probably go get something to eat, huh?” He can’t help but glance worriedly at Keith one more time before looking back to Coran, who’s smiling gently with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

 

“No need to worry, my boy. I’ll look after our pesky paladin long enough for you to eat.” He turns his attention back to the tablet in his right hand and makes a shooing motion with the left. “Now, go on, get your goo. Can’t have _ two _ paladins in the infirmary because they didn’t take care of themselves, can we?”

 

Lance rolls his eyes and flaps an arm in Coran’s general direction. “Yeah, yeah, I’m going, I’m going.” Just before the door whooshes shut on his way out, he sneaks one last glimpse over his shoulder. He spots a flash of dark hair contrasted by pale skin and paler sheets before all he sees is the smooth grey of the castle’s infirmary door. Pinching his eyes closed for a moment, he slowly releases the heavy sigh that was weighing inside his chest and leans forward the few inches it takes to rest his head against the cold metal. It feels nice against the slight headache that’s starting to build behind his eyes, and he briefly wonders how much worry he can carry around inside him — wonders if there’s any way to stop it, at this point... if he’d even  _ want  _ to.

 

_ Idiot, _ he thinks, much more affectionately than intended. Then with a shake of his head, he pivots away from the door and makes his way towards the kitchen and some much-needed food goo.

 

* * *

 

“What was it that he said before he passed out?” Hunk asks, getting his next spoonful of goo ready. He’s sitting across from Lance at the end of the dining room table, and Pidge is between them at the head of the table. Or rather,  _ on _ the head of the table. As usual, she’s decided to exercise her aversion to conventional seating arrangements by forgoing the chair altogether and instead sits cross-legged on top of the table with her treasured computer nestled in her lap.

 

Lance levels his goo-laden spoon directly at Hunk, ignoring the way some of it glops onto the table. “He looked me dead in the eye and mumbled ‘Sleep is for the weak’ before turning around and literally collapsing from exhaustion.” He shovels the spoonful of goo into his mouth before throwing his hands into the air and exclaiming, “The  _ idiot _ .”

 

Hunk, a decent human being who respects the food he’s eating, lets the statement hang in the air and finishes his mouthful before continuing the conversation. “Yeah, I’m honestly afraid to know how long he was up. Like… it must have been at  _ least _ two days straight.”

 

“Jesus,” Pidge mutters.

 

Hunk gives her a look. “Like  _ you’re _ any better.”

 

Pidge blows a raspberry at Hunk like the dignified little sibling that she is.

 

“If he doesn’t sleep at least fourteen hours straight I’m gonna murder him,” Lance continues angrily, stabbing his spoon into what’s left of his bowl of food goo.

 

An undignified snort forces its way out of Pidge. “Yeah, yeah, you’ll probably smother him to death with  _ love _ and  _ affection _ .”

 

“Shut up,” Lance pouts, eyes focused on the bowl in front of him as a faint blush begins to warm his cheeks.

 

“She’s right, dude,” Hunk agrees, waving his spoon in Lance’s general direction. “You’re like, sickeningly in love.”

 

_ “Hunk!” _

 

“What? It’s true!” He blatantly ignores Lance’s affronted look as he barrels on. “And I’m happy for you guys, really. There’s just only so much PDA I can take before I explode, man.” He pulls both of his hands up in front of his chest like he’s trying to hold in said explosion, face scrunched up like he’s looking at an adorable kitten. “It’s just too cute.”

 

Lance has slouched back into his chair with his hands over his cheeks, trying to cover their increasing color. “Hunk, please...” he pleads.

 

“Aw,” Pidge coos mockingly, “look at him blush.”

 

Lance slouches lower and lower into his chair until he’s sliding onto the floor. “Stoooooop.”

 

“Even his ears are red.” Pidge sounds so smug it almost physically pains Lance.

 

Finally fed up, Lance abruptly scrambles to a standing position. “I don’t have to deal with this. I’m gonna go snuggle with my idiot boyfriend and pretend I never met either of you.” He jabs a finger at each of them in turn before snatching up his empty bowl and heading for the dirty dish receptacle thingy (Lance can’t be bothered to remember the name of it) at the back of the room.

 

“Aw,” Hunk teases, “is someone gonna go have a bonding moment?”

 

“Yeah, Lance, you gonna cradle him in your arms?” Pidge adds with a smirk.

 

Lance finishes shoving his bowl into the weird dirty dish tube thing before making a beeline for the door. “I hate you both so much.  _ So much. _ ”

 

“Sure you do,” Hunk says innocently. Far, far too innocently. “Just like you  _ hated  _ Keith.”

 

Lance stops in the doorway and turns to menacingly aim a finger at them. “You’re both dead to me. I’m leaving.” He marches off down the hall, the sound of his friends’ laughter echoing behind him.

 

* * *

 

“You really scared me, ya know,” Lance murmurs to a still-sleeping Keith.

 

When Coran had finally left to go give the mice a bath like he’d promised Allura, he’d carefully squeezed himself onto the bed next to Keith, making especially sure not to disturb him. It turned out that he shouldn't have bothered, though, because almost immediately after he got in, Keith began to cuddle up to him like a touch starved octopus, almost pushing him back out. Eventually, Lance had found a comfortable spot on his back, with Keith snuggled up as close to his side as physically possible, and his needle arm resting carefully across Lance's middle.

 

Lance lifts the arm he has wrapped around Keith's back ever-so-gently and tucks a lock of hair behind his pale ear. “Watching you just… collapse like that...” Lance continues, his other thumb finding the tape on Keith’s needle hand for what is probably the hundredth time that night. He tries to smooth down the stubborn corner again, but like every time before, it continues to curl up defiantly. He sighs wearily, the exhaustion borne of excessive worrying about a certain paladin finally starting to catch up to him. A yawn escapes him, and he lets his head flop back onto the pillow behind him.

 

“When you wake up, we’re gonna have a long talk about taking care of ourselves and not scaring the shit out of our friends and significant others, okay?” Keith stays silent, continuing his deep, even breaths.

 

He looks so peaceful like this, and Lance takes a moment to imagine them being in this exact same position someday in the future, after everything. They’re finally home, and everyone’s safe, and they’ve just had a huge ‘Welcome Home’ dinner with his family, and they’re snuggled up just like this under one of his mama’s hand-made quilts, and… “Okay, good talk,” Lance whispers sleepily, eyes slipping shut and breaths slowing to match Keith’s. He thinks he hears the click of a camera shutter somewhere off to his right, but sleep is claiming him fast, and he’s too warm and comfortable to care.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed!
> 
> You can find my Bad Things Happen Bingo masterpost and updated card here: http://fandoms-have-taken-over-my-life.tumblr.com/post/178394970137/welcome-to-my-bad-things-happen-bingo-masterpost
> 
> And you can find all of the work I've created for Voltron Bingo here: http://fandoms-have-taken-over-my-life.tumblr.com/post/179170683332/savvs-voltron-bingo-round-1-masterpost
> 
> Please let me know what you guys think, and feel free to send me prompts for either Bingo!


End file.
